So far, 2016 has been a big year for movies. From the spectacular (Everybody Wants Some!!!, Hail Caesar!) to the not so spectacular (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Legend of Tarzan) we have been bombarded with great sequel films and great independent movies. As the Summer movie season winds down and we head into the throws of Fall and Christmastime, there are still a lot of movies to be released this year. Here are 10 movies to look out for, in chronological order.
- The Girl on the Train (October 7) – Directed by Tate Taylor (The Help) and starring Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux, and Lisa Kudrow, the movie is based on the best-selling 2015 novel about a woman named Rachel who fantasizes about a seemingly perfect couple’s life while riding the train everyday.
- Doctor Strange (November 4) – The Marvel Cinematic Universe has released 13 films since 2008 and haven’t had a complete miss yet, so it is safe to assume that this one will continue their hot streak. Directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, the film will introduce magic into the MCU, setting a new path to be walked down as the series continues.
- Loving (November 4) – Directed by Arkansas’ own Jeff Nichols, Loving is based on the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple that was arrested because they got married in 1958 Virginia. The couple is the reason that interracial couples can get married today.
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November 18) – A spinoff of the always popular Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts tells the story of Newt Scamander, the author of the titular textbook from the Harry Potter series, and the adventures he went on to write the book. One of the most anticipated films of the year, the film shares the same director as the final four HP movies and the same writer as the books, Fantastic Beasts is sure to please.
- Moana (November 23) – Starring Dwayne Johnson and featuring music from some people such as Lin Manuel-Miranda (Hamilton: An American Musical,) the new film from the same company that animated and released Frozen in 2013, Moana tells the story of a young girl named Moana as she goes on an adventure with the demigod Maui as they look for an island of mysterious secrets.
- La La Land (December 9) – Starring everyone’s favorite onscreen couple, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and directed by Damien Chazelle of Whiplash fame, La La Land is a homage to Hollywood. Already generating Oscar buzz over two months ahead of it’s release, the movie will almost definitely double as both a crowd pleaser and a critical darling.
- Collateral Beauty (December 16) – Will Smith stars as an advertising executive inNew York City who feels discouraged by a deep, personal tradgedy. His friends encounter three mysterious people claiming to be Love, Time, and Death who encourage them to help Smith’s character to forget about the past and learn to live and love again.
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (December 16) – Star Wars has always been a big part of pop culture. However, in 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released and went on to become the third highest grossing film of all time. While Disney has said they don’t expect Rogue One to do the same amount of business, the film is tracking to become the new highest grossing movie of the year.
- Passengers (December 21) – Since the release of Jurassic World, Chris Pratt has stayed away from big budgeted movies, especially those set in space. However, when Passengers is released, Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence will star as two people who are on a 120 year journey to a new inhabitable planet after Earth’s demise that wake up with 90 years left in their journey.
- A Monster Calls (December 23) – A young boy that struggles with both his mother’s terminal illness and attacks by a school bully until he encounters a “monster” in the form of a humanoid tree that helps him face his fears and realize that he isn’t alone by telling him stories helping him fix his unhappy life. Juan Antonio Bayona, the director of A Monster Calls, will next direct the sequel to Jurassic World.
